RE: Mandatory Ethics Training and Open Meeting Law Distributions Reminders

DATE: July 28, 2011

Members of Retirement Boards and Retirement Board staff are municipal employees under G.L. c. 268A, and as a result must complete the Ethics Commission’s training program by April 2 every two years (see PERAC Memos #45/2009 and #13/2010).

All new Board Members and new Board employees must complete the training within 30 days of becoming a Board Member or becoming employed by a Retirement Board. The Ethics training program is posted on the Ethics Commission’s website http://www.mass.gov/ethics in the section entitled “Education and Training Resources.”

In addition to the requirements of the Ethics law, the Open Meetings law requires that within 2 weeks of election or appointment to a public body (including a Retirement Board) all members of the body must be provided with copies of certain documents and must sign a certificate of receipt. The materials to be provided are listed on the Certificate of Receipt of Open Meeting Law Materials, and include:

the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25;

regulations promulgated by the Attorney General under G.L. c. 30A, § 25; and

educational materials promulgated by the Attorney General under G.L. c. 30A, § 19(b), explaining the Open Meeting Law and its application.